Shadow and Bone

Summary: Alina Starkov has grown up in an orphanage in Ravka, a land separated from the sea by the “Shadow Fold,” a black hole of darkness and monsters. She has no family, besides her best friend Mal. One fateful day they must travel as part of a transport across the Fold, and when disaster strikes, Alina unleashes a power she never knew she had. As a result, she gets swept into the world of the Grisha, powerful people with the ability to control the elements. Life will never be the same as Alina discovers who she truly is, and who she can and cannot trust to protect her world. 

Critical Evaluation: Like many young adult fantasy novels, readers are sure to find the adventure, mystery, magic, and self discovery that they crave between the covers of Shadow and Bone. 

The strongest element Leigh Bardugo brings forward in Shadow and Bone is her ability to worldbuild. Alina’s world and circumstances are slowly unfolded to the reader as they discover the complexities along with her, and an overload of information or exposition is expertly avoided. Bardugo has a knack for storytelling, and the first person point of view of the story gives the reader an in depth look at Alina’s hopes, insecurities, worries, and her desire to belong. 

Many aspects of Shadow and Bone bear Russian influence, including the names of things and places, such as Ravka, Grisha, and Volcra. This familiarity allows readers to feel as though they know and perhaps have been to the world they are reading about, and makes the magic and the mysticism throughout the novel feel all the more real.

While Shadow and Bone shines in many areas, it falters in ways similar to other young adult fantasy series. The romances within the story, though addicting to read about, often fail to consider Alina’s wants, and dance with the line of consent more than a book for teens, primarily one aimed at young women, should. It is slightly predictable, mainly because of the saturation of stories like it currently in the young adult market, but this doesn’t make it any less of an enjoyable read. Its themes of mercy, love, and discovery will keep readers wanting to discover what happens next. 

Reader’s Annotation: Alina has always considered herself nothing remarkable, but when a dangerous journey unveils a power she didn’t know she had, her world changes forever.